New movement in Beijing: Thousands Cycle on Chang’an Avenue Every Night

It is reported that a new trend of night cycling has emerged in Beijing. Every night, thousands of people ride bicycles along Chang'an Avenue, the main thoroughfare of the capital. Among them are white-collar workers, laborers and students. Some cycle to relieve stress, others simply for leisure. This phenomenon has even spread as far as Xinjiang. Thousands of cyclists on Chang'an Avenue at night. Stress relief? Or a new form of protest in China? According to Le Monde, when night falls and traffic fades, thousands of cyclists gather on Chang'an Avenue, a road 45 kilometers long and 100 meters wide that runs east to west through Beijing, enjoying the rare freedom of riding on a road that symbolizes state power. Night cyclists come from diverse backgrounds, including programmers, designers and data analysts from major tech firms like Baidu, Meituan and ByteDance. These white-collar workers often follow the infamous 9.96 schedule, working 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. For them, a lightweight, foldable bicycle that fits into an elevator during rush hour is a better stress reliever than walking long distances to the subway. Maxwell, 27, an engineer installing medical equipment for proton therapy, rides a foldable bike. He says, Our client hospitals put me under a lot of pressure. Cycling at night helps me decompress. I love the straight roads, the quiet company of fellow riders, the thrill of speed and the feeling that nothing can stop me. Others, including migrant workers and students, ride yellow, green or blue shared bikes. Meituan, which operates the yellow bikes, reported that night-time bike rentals, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., rose by 15 percent from July 2023 to July 2024. Meituan added that Beijing had the highest night-time usage of shared bikes, surpassing Shanghai, Chengdu and Shenzhen. Some night riders dress like professional cyclists, wearing sports gear and riding carbon fiber bikes. Many are teenagers showing off in WeChat groups. They revel in the long, well-lit, comfortable and safe path that is Chang'an Avenue. Much of the road is separated from traffic by barriers, and electric scooters are banned. ID checks Near Tiananmen, cycling spreads to Xinjiang. However, on the section near Tiananmen Square, police often check cyclists' IDs. Between 7.30 p.m. and 11 p.m., police sometimes block the road using bulletproof vehicles, forcing cyclists to take detours. Some believe these measures are meant to prevent spontaneous commemorations of the June 4, 1989 crackdown, while others suspect they are due to important meetings in nearby Zhongnanhai. Frustrated with detours, many speed cyclists have shifted to the Beijing Olympic Forest Park's 8-kilometer cycling loop, open 24 hours. Each evening around 7 p.m., large cycling groups spontaneously form, with riders taking turns leading the pack to maintain a steady pace. Beijing now has four re-erie clubs, cycling-themed hubs combining bike shops, repair services, cycling gear sales and cocktail bars. These have become hot spots for enthusiasts. Re-erie members pay fees and join group rides of 10 to 34 people daily, enjoying what the club calls a third space outside work and home. Zhang Tao, named phonetically transcribed, one of the organizers said, There are too many cars, too many shared bikes, and too many inspections on Chang'an Avenue, so our cycling routes keep expanding. One group even made it all the way to Xinjiang. Zhengzhou's night ride sparked panic among authorities. On June 18, 2024, four female students from Zhengzhou University decided after class to ride to Kaifeng to eat the city's famous soup dumplings. With no long-distance buses available and high-speed rail tickets too expensive, they chose to use public bikes. After more than three hours of riding, they arrived safely. The video they posted of their Kaifeng night ride went viral among Zhengzhou students, sparking a wave of imitation. Soon, the riders included workers, farmers, civil servants, military veterans, and even outsiders who flew in to join. The scale grew rapidly. Outlets like Radio France Internationale and Voice of America reported that the crowd size eventually surpassed that of the 2022 white paper movement protesting China's zero-COVID policy. Though the night ride had no political intent, authorities reacted with alarm. Roadblocks were imposed, students were ordered to return to campus within strict hours, and several universities in Henan Province were placed under a one-month lockdown. This drew backlash. Some students accused the government of treating them like animals and shutting schools at the first sign of unrest, reminiscent of dynamic zero-COVID tactics. On November 9, 2024, the topic, Night Riding in Kaifeng, was paused, topped Chinese social media's hot search. Despite the ban, the craze spread across provinces, reaching Beijing, Chengdu, Wuhan, Xi'an, and other major cities. Camouflaged tank convoy rolls through Beijing's Chang'an Avenue. A video circulating online appears to show a suspected military convoy, fully enclosed and camouflaged, driving through Beijing's Chang'an Avenue at night. Some speculate it may be related to internal military activity, while others believe it could be preparation for an upcoming parade. A clip uploaded to Xiaohangshu shows that, on the wide avenue at night, civilian vehicles are confined to one side of a road divider, while the other side is blocked off, allowing only the mysterious convoy to pass. Leading the convoy is a blue truck marked Road Inspection Vehicle. The vehicles that follow are also labeled the same, but they do not resemble typical engineering or inspection vehicles. Instead, they are fully covered with blue canopies supported by metal frames, with even the wheels hidden beneath canvas sheets. Small windows at the front and rear are the only visible openings. Each of the suspected vehicles is accompanied by a white van on the right side. On the sidewalk, some individuals appear to be running alongside the convoy. At intersections, vehicles with flashing blue lights seem to be managing road access. Based on the style of the road dividers and nearby buildings, viewers believe the footage was recorded near the Wangfujing intersection of Chang'an Avenue, a highly symbolic area in central Beijing. The time of filming remains unknown, and the original video has reportedly been removed from Xiaohangshu. The Chinese government has announced a military parade to be held in Beijing on September 3. Some speculate the convoy may be related to these preparations, though others question whether it's too early for such drills. Online reactions vary. Some viewers believe the convoy may contain tanks based on engine sounds, and the decision to cover the wheels. Others joke that the scene resembles previous moments in history when military vehicles appeared in central Beijing under tense circumstances. Millions of students scammed and stranded, all their money gone in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai. We're seeing college students with suitcases everywhere, crowds and crowds of them, and this is just a fraction. Even under the overpass, students are packed in, hiding from the brutal heat. Right now, under this scorching sun, agents are still pulling in more people. But Kunshan is completely overwhelmed. For those who haven't come yet, watch these real videos, see the truth. And ask yourself, do you still want to come? Don't. Don't come. Everyone here is stranded. There are no jobs. The whole area is flooded with desperate students, lured here by black-hearted agents. Did the agents stop picking up your calls? Of course. Did they take your money? Yep, 100 yuan per person. We were running around yesterday, and today we're still running around. Why not go home? Because I just wanted a summer job. Legit jobs don't charge fees. If they ask for money, they're scammers. Tell them straight, if you don't refund me, I'm calling the police. You promised a job and took my money for nothing. It's already past 3 p.m., and just look at the scene, still packed with stranded students, so many left behind. Who doesn't have a child at home hoping to lighten their parents' load this summer? These kids just want to earn a little, to help their families. They'd rather be playing games in air-conditioned rooms. But no, they came here to fight for something better. I, Liu Banjiang, am standing here telling you the truth from the bottom of my heart. Parents, students, please don't come, don't come, don't come. Anyone asking for money up front is scamming you. Yes, summer jobs are supposed to help college students grow and earn a little for living expenses. But lately, it's scam after scam and the damage is heartbreaking. So how did you two end up here? We found an agent online. They promised 25 yuan an hour. But when we arrived, it was only 6 yuan. Why did you believe them? This is our first summer working. We didn't know better. We just wanted to earn something to help our parents. But we lost everything. He told us wages were good and asked for 50 yuan to reserve a spot. So we paid. We thought it meant we'd be guaranteed something. But when we got there, he said the factory was full and sent us to a different one. Only 6 yuan an hour. And it didn't stop there. The agent even demanded 50 yuan more for the car fare to take them to the factory. The kids paid. Why? Because he drove us so far. Gas costs money, right? These kids, so young, so trusting, don't even realize they're being used. Why didn't you stay at that factory? We couldn't handle the jobs, heavy labor with men. We just couldn't do it. Didn't you ask to be moved? He said that was the only factory taking students. No other options. So what now? I'm going home tomorrow. It's just too hard. Did you buy tickets? No. We spend almost all our money. Right now, the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region has collapsed. No more student jobs. Students, please don't come anymore. The reality is there are no jobs left. Photovoltaic factories are running dry with zero orders. New energy plants are rejecting applicants. Even entry-level semiconductor jobs now demand a college degree. Even CIMC Shanghai is laying off workers in droves. This is no longer about low wages for student workers. This is about factories having no room at all. Labor agents here have hundreds of students waiting. But there's simply nothing to assign. Zero opportunities. If you're under 22, listen up. Many factories now check bank salary flow. No transaction history. You're out. Even if you're a student worker, the rare job you do land pays terribly. And often, you physically can't even handle it. Underage students do not come out. More and more people are telling me they were lured by high wages of 20-plus yuan an hour. But when they arrived, they were milked dry. Bedding fees, ID photo fees, physical exam fees, resettlement fees, dorm fees, factory deposits, information fees. Every step is a trap. Blogger Ho Gege revealed that this July, millions of students flocked to Guangdong for jobs. He warned, Dongguan and Huizhou, the most black-hearted agents Shenzhen, the most tricks Guangzhou, the most scams. In his video, he broke down the entire scam process. You see a job post, decent pay, 22-24 yuan an hour, with food and housing. It looks real. You're hooked. You message the agent or factory recruiter. They direct you to a subway station. When you arrive, you see other students, so you assume it's safe. Then the brainwashing starts. You need to apply for a SIM card to open a bank account for payroll. You need to buy a 200 yuan betting set. Don't worry, it's reimbursed. Tempted by promises and pressure, you pay. Next, they shove you into a bus, then charge you 200 yuan for the ride. Again, they say it's reimbursed. You hesitate, but you cave. But once you arrive at the factory, bam, the salary is just a dozen yuan. You panic. It hits you. You've been scammed. You message the agent. Blocked. Gone. Your money? Almost empty. You're left with no choice. Stay and work for 9 yuan an hour. Think 9 yuan is the bottom? Think again. This year, most jobs are offering 6 yuan an hour. Take it or leave it. The economy is in freefall. Suitable summer jobs? Almost none. If you go out now, you'll either be underpaid or scammed. If you can't find a job, just go home. Don't drag this out for two painful months. Take it as a harsh lesson in real life. One that'll make you understand your parents' struggles. You're still young. Study hard. Real jobs will come. Look around Suzhou. It's packed daily. Factories that do open for student workers fill up immediately. Even if you reach the door, you may not even get interviewed, let alone hired. It's a bloodbath. Now it's total exploitation. Some factories set wages at 110 yuan per day. 12-hour shifts. That's 9 yuan an hour. Brothers and sisters, are you really okay with this? Stop being greedy. You'll end up with nothing. Right now, student workers are stuck. Heartbreaking scenes. Students squatting in the sun. Lost, scammed, and stranded. They were dragged out by buses in the morning, left on the streets, their bedding torn, suitcase wheels broken, and the last of their school savings gone. My colleagues in Henan say the kids there grow up fast, independent, and want to work early. That's admirable. But I'm begging parents and students, stop. There's only one outcome. You feed the scammers. Once the students are robbed, there are three paths. Parents pay for the child's return trip. Students cave in, accept garbage jobs with garbage pay. Students who know the law report the agent. But it all ends in pain. 6 yuan an hour. All 6 yuan. I warned you not to come to the Guangdong lines. But no one listened. Are students not human anymore? Now in Guangdong, countless students have been robbed by these predators, paying for exams, registration, transportation, bedding, and still jobless, stranded, hopeless. Do you really think people will still pay to get into factories? Again, never trust anyone who asks for car fares, SIM cards, medical checks. Before you get a job, stay calm. If you find real work, do it. If not, treat this as a rough trip and walk away. Don't become a pawn. To those who haven't gone out for summer jobs yet, don't. It's a nightmare now. Stranded students are everywhere, tricked by shady labor services into giving up everything for nothing. What were these agents thinking? No jobs, but you still recruit? You fake high wages, pretend you're factory HR. But you're just middlemen running scams. Students are sleeping in the streets. Their money is gone. No hotel, no food. It's heartbreaking. You labor agents, have you no shame? Fellow citizens, please forward this. Protect the next student from falling into the same trap.